Time Flies!

It has been an amazing week finishing up my Tour de Austria.

First off was a day on the slopes for some spring skiing. The slopes and surrounding mountains were beautiful and I'm so glad I got in an Austrian ski day. That same day I headed off to Prague with former helper on the farm who was visiting the farm for Easter but lives and works in Prague. Prague was as everyone says, a beautiful and cultured city. The architecture everywhere you look is so amazing, also it's cheap and easy to get around using public transportation. Only complaints were that the local people weren't the friendliest and I wasn't the biggest fan of the cuisine and they rave about their beer, "the worlds best!"... it's obvious they haven't had any Oregon microbrews. Gili was so great to let me stay with her and giving me some insiders tips.

After a quick stop over in Vienna, just to see the main square I boarded a train to Salzburg. When I arrived it was late at night and all I could see were the lights on the hillsides lighting up the castles and the cathedrals within the city. I checked into a hostel that was showing the Sound of Music and though I've never seen it didn't bother and headed to bed. I awoke the next morning to see that the hills were indeed alive. I can definitely see why a movie was set there, it was such a nice town. I had a day there and could have spent more time doing a tour of the surrounding area but was eager for my trip to Innsbruck, a mountain town further to the west. I made arrangements for couch surfing with a guy who promised to show me some great hiking one day and had an extra mountain bike for me to ride the next.

So I boarded another train (thank god for the Vortiels card which gives those of us under 26 half price fares!), and was lucky to be sought out at the busy train station by my host. Innsbruck, like Salzburg is surrounded by mountains. But here they right at the edge of to town, bigger and there are more. As was promised we took a hike and mountain biked straight up into the mountains. It was really great to see how active the locals are here. It seems that everyone who lives here age 5-95 takes advantage of the trails they can access from their houses in all the villages and hike the way up to the restuarants for refreshing beers and traditional knudel dishes.

I am waiting to board another train Italy bound! Austria has been great and I actually may not be done with it yet. If things work out right, I am considering meeting up with my host from Graz in her hometown of Bad Ischle and then possibly seeing Hohe Tauren National Park... we'll see time is going by so fast.

So Long Farm

I finished off my farm experience today with chicken hunting. Catching him (thankfully there were females around to distract him), beheading him (I was only a spectator), plucking, cleaning and finally eating him. It was delish and not that I have eaten much store bought chicken, but I could visibly see a difference in the meat and just know it was so much tastier.

I spent a few days down in the city of Graz, home to the Governator. It was great, I loved the city. Lots of great sights to visit, parks to hang out in, a river, and a good crowd and vibe because it is a college town. It was my first couch surfing experience (a website where people join and welcome you to their homes and you do the same in exchange). It worked out so well, she met me in Vienna, took me to Graz and it was so nice to have a tour of the city by a local. Danke Maria, you were awesome! Because while doing the sightseeing is great, it's so much better to finish the day playing beach volleyball and watching the sunset by a little known lake than to be alone in a hostel.

Since spring weather has arrived farm work has been busy. But it's great to be outside all day long (I have a well deveoloped farmers tan!). We're doing all this work that they will be rewarded with later in the summer when they get to eat the fresh fruits, veggies and other crops. While it has been great and to stay and enjoy the food and good company with them would be nice... I started this adventure as a traveller and have not been converted to a farmer. So tomorrow they are taking me skiing (finally!) and I am headed straight to Prague after that. It will be a busy couple of weeks seeing the rest of Austria before meeting up with my parents in Italy, woohoo!

I best be getting my things packed and get to bed for one final early morning of milking then hitting the slopes!